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The World Dairy Innovation Awards shines a light on the products, processes and businesses moving the global dairy industry forward. This year's entries have raised the bar once again – and today, FoodBev is proud to reveal the 2026 shortlist.
The organisations featured here represent the full breadth of modern dairy: from farm-level sustainability initiatives and next-generation science, to packaging breakthroughs and products designed around how people actually eat and drink today. What unites them is a refusal to stand still.
Behind every shortlisted entry is a team that has navigated regulatory complexity, supply chain realities and shifting consumer expectations – and still delivered something genuinely new. That deserves recognition.
Winners will be announced on Wednesday 17 June, 5pm CEST, at the Global Dairy Congress, Barcelona.
This year's awards feature more than 30 shortlisted brands from 14 countries, showcasing the truly global scale of dairy innovation.
What innovations excite you most on this year's shortlist? Share your insights and join the conversation using #WDIA26
World Dairy Innovation Awards 2026 Shortlist
Best products of 2026
Best Artisan Product
Inner Mongolia Yili Industrial | Gonglao’s Hulunbuir Strain Milk Skin Yogurt
Mengniu Dairy | Mengniu Pure Milk Powder 700g
Mengniu Dairy | Organic Whipping Cream
Mengniu Dairy | Yo!Fine Dairy Greek yogurt-zero sucrose
Shanghai Milkground Food Tech | Aishichenxi Cultured Butter
Shanghai Milkground Food Tech | Aishichenxi Whipping Cream
Shanghai Milkground Food Tech | Volcano Lava Cheese Sauce
Best Butter/Spread
Meiji Co | Meiji Spreatable Aged Cheese Blend
Shanghai Milkground Food Tech | Aishichenxi Cultured Butter
Best Cheese
China Feihe | Feihe Angus Beef Cheese
China Feihe | Feihe Love Veggie Cheese
Junlebao Dairy | Soft Heart Cheese
Meiji Co | Meiji Hokkaido Tokachi Camen-Blue
Mengniu Dairy | Organic Mozzarella Cheese
Shanghai Milkground Food Tech | Volcano Lava Cheese Sauce
Best Children's Dairy Product
Dairy Farmers of America | TruMoo Moana
Junlebao Dairy | Youcui Baoai
Mengniu Dairy | Gyr U‑Star Children's Growth Yogurt
Mengniu Dairy | Mengniu Mini Cheese Milk Flavored Ice Cream
Mengniu Dairy | Morden Farming Three Calves A2 β-Casein HMOs Milk Full Cream Modified Milk (Tetra Pak Slim 125ml × 16 cartons)
Mengniu Dairy | Morden Farming Three Calves A2 β-Casein Millet Milk Full Cream Modified Milk (Slim Pack 125ml × 20 cartons)
Mengniu Dairy | Yoyi C Galacto-oligosaccharides Probiotic Drink
Shanghai Milkground Food Tech | Milkground Kids Cheese Milk
Vietnam Dairy Products | Vinamilk Optimum A2 Pro+
Yili Group | Cute Star A2β-Casein Milk with Native DHA
Best Dairy Alternative
Junlebao Dairy | Zhiyue Soy Milk Yogurt
Over The Moo | Over The Moo Dairy-Free Bites
PlanetDairy | PlanetDairy Hybrid Milk range
Shanghai Milkground Food Tech | Milkground JieJieGao liquid cheese calcium
Sky Barn | +Adaptogens Organic Oat Milk
Best Dessert
Mengniu Dairy | Deluxe Classic Black Forest Cake Flavor Ice Cream
Mengniu Dairy | Organic Mascarpone Flavored Cream
Mengniu Dairy | Suibian Crispy！Lava
Vietnam Dairy Products | Vinamilk Green Farm Drinking Yogurt
Best Dairy Drink
Dairy Farmers of America | Alta Dena Protein
Four Leaves Co | Lullaa NZSmartMilk – BioFusion Functional Dairy System
Junlebao Dairy | Freshjoy Omega-3 Fresh Milk
Mengniu Dairy | Morden Farming Three Calves A2 β-Casein Fruit & Vegetable Milk Full Cream Modified Milk (Slim Pack 125ml × 20 cartons)
Mengniu Dairy | Xin Yang Dao YouGu milk
Mengniu Dairy | Youyi C Live Probiotic Lactic Acid Bacteria Drink (Strawberry Flavor, Green Grape Flavor, Apple Flavor)
Best Flavoured Dairy Drink
Dairy Farmers of America | TruMoo Protein Whole Chocolate Milk
Dimes Gıda Sanayi ve Ticaret | Dimes Cola-flavoured Milkshake
Mengniu Dairy | Mengniu Chewy Fruit-Freshly Pressed Coconut Milk Beverage
Mengniu Dairy | Mengniu Fresh Chocolate Milk
Vietnam Dairy Products | Vinamilk Fresh Milk 100% Flavored
Best Dairy Protein Product
Brownes Dairy | Füll+
China Feihe | Aiben Small-Molecule Milk Protein Gold Special Dietary Powder
China Feihe | Feihe Angus Beef Cheese
China Feihe | Feihe Love Veggies Protein Shake
Dairy Farmers of America | Mulu Cottage Cheese
Meiji Co | Savas Biopro Whey Protein 100
Shanghai Milkground Food Tech | Aishichenxi Whey Fruit Encounter
The Organic Protein Co | Real Coffee Organic Whey Protein Powder
Best Dairy Snack
Junlebao Dairy | Soft Heart Cheese
Mengniu Dairy | Hankou Set Yogurt
Mengniu Dairy | Mengniu Guanyiru Fruit Popping Beads Flavored Fermented Milk
Shanghai Milkground Food Tech | Milkground Cheese Nuts Crisps
Vietnam Dairy Products | Vinamilk Green Farm Drinking Yogurt
Vietnam Dairy Products | Vinamilk SuSu High-Calcium Cheese Lollipop
Best Functional Dairy
Brownes Dairy | Füll+: Redefining functional dairy by giving consumers more.
China Feihe | Aiben Small-Molecule Milk Protein Gold Special Dietary Powder
China Feihe | Aiben Yuedong Protein Dual-Peptide Nutrition Powder
China Feihe | Feihe BaoXin Cardiovascular Health Milk Powder
China Feihe | Feihe Qingcheng Glycaemic Health Milk Powder
China Feihe | Feihe ShanGu Bone & Joint Formula Milk Powder
Chuckling Goat | Original Kefir
Four Leaves Co | Lullaa / NZ SmartMilk – Functional Dairy Product
Friesland Campina Innovation | Optimel Vezels – Making fibre intake easy, tasty and accessible
Meiji Co | Meiji MeiBalance Mini Cup Strawberry Flavor
Meiji Co | Meiji Hemoglobin A1c Support Yogurt
Mengniu Dairy | Guanyi Super Vitality Probiotic Yogurt
Mengniu Dairy | Mengniu Calcium Electrolyte Drink
Mengniu Dairy | Mengniu Yourui Tekangli Selenium-Enriched Camel Milk Powder
Mengniu Dairy | Morden Farming Three Calves BoneCare Soft Milk Full Cream Modified Milk (Dream Cap 250ml × 10 cartons)
Mengniu Dairy | Precision Functional Yogurt
Mengniu Dairy | Yoyi C Galacto-oligosaccharides Probiotic Drink
Shanghai Milkground Food Tech | Milkground JieJieGao liquid cheese calcium
Yili | Yili Xinhuo Blood Sugar Management Formula Milk Powder
Yili XinHuo | Yili XinHuo Golden Age Milk Powder
Best Ice Cream/Frozen Yogurt
Casper's Ice Cream | FatBoy Birthday Sandwich Pop
Dairy Farmers of America | Kemps Crafted Ice Cream Relaunch
Inner Mongolia Yili Industrial | Qiaolezi Low-Sugar Salty Cheese Brownie / Matcha Cocoa Ice Cream
Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams | House Coffee
Mengniu Dairy | Deluxe Cheers！Tangerine Pu-erh Tea Flavor ice cream
Mengniu Dairy | Deluxe Strawberry & Milk Ice Cream (No Additives)
Mengniu Dairy | Ice+ Whole Berry Sorbet
Mengniu Dairy| Mengniu (Princess, Please Get Rich) Yellow Peach Milk Ice Cream Mengniu (Prince, Please Strike It Rich) Pineapple Milk Ice Cream
Mengniu Dairy | SuiBian Qiao Qiao Man Guan Chocolate Ice Cream
Vinamilk | Vinamilk Gelato Matcha Gotcha Ice Cream
Best Specialised Dairy Powder
China Feihe | Aiben Beishuhe
China Feihe | AiBen BeiShuRan
China Feihe | Aiben Small-Molecule Milk Protein Gold Special Dietary Powder
Inner Mongolia Yili Industrial | Yili Xinhuo Living Heart Milk Powder
Inner Mongolia Yili Industrial | Yili Red Ginseng Revitalized Milk Powder
Meiji Co | Meiji Hohoemi Infant Formula
Mengniu Dairy | Mengniu Ruibuen Chuainiuniu Jingzhi Young Children Formula Milk Powder
Vinamilk | Vinamilk Sure Diacerna – Clinically Aligned Nutrition Restoring Confidence and Daily Control for Vietnamese Elders with Diabetes
Yili | Yili Xinhuo Blood Sugar Management Formula Milk Powder
Yili XinHuo | Yili XinHuo Heart Vitality Formula Milk Powder
Best Yogurt
Inner Mongolia Yili Industrial Jinshan branch | Changqing Lemon & Oat Popping Beads Probiotic Yogurt
Junlebao Dairy | Zhiyue Soy Milk Yogurt
Mengniu Dairy | Guanyi Super Vitality Probiotic Yogurt
Mengniu Dairy | Yo!Fine Dairy Greek Yogurt
Best innovations of 2026
Best Dairy Alternative Innovation
ADM | Plant Based Protein Breakfast Shake
Junlebao Dairy | Zhiyue Soy Milk Yogurt
PlanetDairy | PlanetDairy Hybrid Milk range
Sky Barn | The Future of Shelf-Stable Oat Milk
Best General Health Innovation
China Feihe | Aiben Small-Molecule Milk Protein Gold Special Dietary Powder
Inner Mongolia Yili Industrial | Beichang Probiotics Selenium-Enriched High-Calcium Goat Milk Powder
Mengniu Dairy | Deluxe Good Night, Lychee Ice Cream
Mengniu Dairy | Guanyi Super Vitality Probiotic Yogurt
Mengniu Dairy | Ice+ Power Lemon Electrolyte Lemon Flavor Sorbet
Mengniu Dairy | Mengniu Guanyiru Anti-Hangover Functional Yogurt
Mengniu Dairy | Mengniu Guanyiru Fruit & Vegetable Flavored Fermented Milk
Mengniu Dairy | Mengniu Guanyiru Iron-Fortified Functional Yogurt
Mengniu Dairy | Mengniu MNHi188 Calcium, Vitamin D and Vitamin K Oral Solution
Mengniu Dairy | Mengniu Pure Milk Flavored Ice Cream
Mengniu Dairy | Mengniu Three Calves A2β HMO Milk
Mengniu Dairy | Mengniu YimiBaba Probiotic Drops
Mengniu Dairy | Mengniu Yourui Selenium-rich and High-calcium Goat Milk Powde
Mengniu Dairy | Yoyi C Galacto-oligosaccharides Probiotic Drink
Yili XinHuo | Yili XinHuo Bone Energy Formula Milk Powder
Yili XinHuo | Yili XinHuo Heart Vitality Formula Milk Powder
Best Intolerance-Friendly Innovation
China Feihe | Feihe Ranch Bird's Nest Acid Lactose Protein Nutritional Powder
China Feihe | Muyuxingyang
Mead Johnson Nutritionals China | Chunguan Beiyougoatmilk S3 700G
Mengniu Dairy | Mengniu Low-Temperature Lactose-Free Product Series
Mengniu Dairy | Morden Farming Three Calves Prebiotic Soft Milk Full Cream Modified Milk (Tetra Pak Prisma 200ml × 12 packs)
Mengniu Dairy | M-Plus Daily Protein Original High-Protein Milk (15g Protein, Original Flavor)
Vietnam Dairy Products | Vinamilk Optimum A2 Pro+
Vietnam Dairy Products | Vinamilk Fresh Milk 100% Collection
Yeeper Nutrition Technology (Qingdao) | Yeeper Boneng Young Children Formula Sheep Milk Powder
Best Life-Stage Innovation
China Feihe | Aiben Small-Molecule Milk Protein Gold Special Dietary Powder
Shanghai Milkground Food Tech | Milkground Ginseng Cheese Milk
Shanghai Milkground Food Tech | Milkground Kids Cheese Milk
Vinamilk | Vinamilk Green Farm Bird's Nest
Vinamilk | Vinamilk Sure Prevent Gold – A Complete and Balanced Formula, Purpose‑Built for the Transition Stage of Vietnamese Aging
Yili XinHuo | Yili Xinhuo Bone Energy Formula Milk Powder
Yili XinHuo | Yili XinHuo Golden Age Milk Powder
Best Manufacturing Innovation
ColloidTek Oy | Collo | Liquid Process Intelligence for Dairy Manufacturing
Four Leaves Co | Lullaa - NZ SmartMilk
Mengniu Dairy | Automated Equipment for Precise Positioning of Conical Profiled Shelters
Mengniu Dairy | Intelligent Control Precision Dynamic Molding System for Multi-color Ice Cream
Mengniu Dairy | Mengniu A2 β-Casein Pure Milk Powder 700g
Mengniu Dairy | Mengniu Pure Milk Powder 700g
Sealed Air | Transforming cheese packing with Cryovac AutoWrap Lite
Vietnam Dairy Products | Vinamilk Fresh Milk 100% Collection
Best Technology Innovation
Diversey – a Solenis Company | Divos ACP (Accelerated Cleaning Protocol)
DuPont Water Solutions | FilmTec Hypershell XP RO 8038 Element - Advancing Sustainable and Cost-Effective Dairy Production Through Membrane Technology Innovation
Inner Mongolia Yili Industrial | YiLi’s You Xin Whipping Cream
Inner Mongolia Yili Industrial | Yili Xinhuo Shutang Formula Milk Powder
JBT Marel | CIPure
Mengniu Dairy | Mengniu Sosodaily Probiotic Powder Platinum Edition
Mengniu Dairy | Milk Extract - Cold Energy Circulation Recovery System
Mengniu Dairy | Molecular-Level Sonic Void-Piercing Microcrystal Technique
Shanghai Milkground Food Tech | Aishichenxi Whey Fruit Encounter
Shanghai Milkground Food Tech | Milkground JieJieGao liquid cheese calcium
Vinamilk | Vinamilk Green Farm High Protein
Best businesses of 2026
Best CSR/Sustainability Initiative
Junlebao Dairy Group | Freshjoy Milk Packaging
Seoul Dairy Cooperative | Seoul Dairy Organic Milk in SIG Terra Alu-free + Full Barrier
Best Marketing Campaign
Brownes Dairy | Füll+: Reclaiming 'Fast Food' for a new generation
China Feihe | 'Action with Strength, Drink Aiben' Integrated Marketing for Aiben Small Molecule Whey Protein Special Dietary Powder
Dairy Farmers of Canada | Strong and Free
Kinisla | Strings & Things: Fun-Om-Nom-Nom Campaign
Les Producteurs de lait du Québec | Jeanne: The Face of a New Generation
Les Producteurs de lait du Québec | La Protectrice (The Protector)
Mengniu Dairy | Guanyi Super Vitality Probiotic Yogurt
Young Fun | Young Fun’s 'Forget It' Garlic-Flavored Limited Edition
Best Packaging Design
Brownes Dairy | Brownes Dairy creates the most beautiful yoghurt in the world
Dairy Farmers of America | Mulu Cottage Cheese Packaging
Inner Mongolia Yili Industrial | Gonglao’s Hulunbuir Strain Milk Skin Yogurt
Mengniu Dairy | Mengniu Light Meal Box Yogurt Bowl
Mengniu Dairy | Mengniu Selected Meadow Whole Milk
Vietnam Dairy Products | Vinamilk Fresh Milk 100% Collection
Vietnam Dairy Products | Vinamilk SuSu High-Calcium Cheese Lollipop
Vinamilk | Gelato Ice cream by Vinamilk
Vinamilk | Vinamilk Sure Ready-To-Drink – Ergonomic, Accessible, and Gift-ready Packaging Designed for Vietnamese Elders and Their Families
Congratulations to all the shortlisted products, innovations and brands!
Each shortlisted entry will be recognised as either a Winner, Finalist or Commended, on 17 June 2026.
The 2026 judging panel
FoodBev is grateful for the World Dairy Innovation Awards 2026 judging panel for their unwavering dedication to reviewing the innovations of the brands who entered this year's awards. Their invaluable expertise is paramount in evaluating the diverse range of entries, and their commitment to celebrating excellence within the dairy industry has been crucial in making the awards a success.
FoodBev's Global Dairy Congress 2026
Time is running out to secure your place at the Global Dairy Congress 2026, taking place in Barcelona from 17-18 June.
The Global Dairy Congress is the premier industry event devoted to marketing and brands, consumers and innovation, designed for industry leaders, innovators, suppliers, customers and advisers worldwide. The 19th annual Global Dairy Congress will feature two days of conference sessions focusing on the latest market developments, trends and opportunities and extensive time for informal networking and discussion.
The 19th annual Congress will offer its attendees two days of insight-packed conference sessions, extensive networking, and the presentation of the World Dairy Innovation Awards, hosted at the five-star InterContinental Barcelona, providing an exceptional setting for this year's event.
About FoodBev Awards
FoodBev Media awards schemes have been running for more than 20 years and are recognised as some of the most credible and respected awards schemes to influence the international food and beverage industry.
For more information about our selection of awards programmes, please visit foodbevawards.com or email awards@foodbev.com.